Back-to-School Stories

Back-to-School time is a busy time throughout the Bay Area and here at Family Giving Tree too. While we're busy accepting, sorting and distributing backpacks we're sure that there are wonderful things going on with others involved in the process. These are their stories. We hope they bring the joy of learning to life for you as they did for us.

Before retiring, JoAnne Kemist worked at a Bay Area Hospital. The hospital had been hosting a Family Giving Tree Back-to-School Drive since before she arrived and so she participated in the Drive her first year there. She quickly realized how great the program was and soon every year she and her husband, Greg, would take multiple backpack tags for high school students.